Keep in mind that you're a novice lifter for a longer period of time than you think you are. Novice lifting can last anywhere from a few months to a year or two, depending on how hard you hit the weights and where you started.

Once you've reached the point where you don't make regular progress on the SS program, you are ready to move on to the intermediate stage, which can last you for a good number of years. Find it HERE:

If you're a very advanced lifter (many, many years of CONSISTENT weight training), then there are lot of programs out there, and which one you pick is simply a matter of preference. If you're really that advanced, you should know what works for you and what doesn't by this point.

that's basically it. I spent whole summers eating until I would gag on food. If you're a skinny guy there is always a rite of passage that must occur where you have to go through this in order to grow. The body doesn't want to grow muscle unless you TELL it to. This just means eating a shit ton of food, and living under the bar for a while. Add more weight to the bar over time, or more reps with that weight, and keep eating, and you'll grow.

I posted my workout on the previous page. To avoid overtraining: I hit bodyparts twice a week do you recommend lower reps earlier in the week and higher reps later in the week? Typically with bench I'll go heavy the first workout of the week and lighter the second workout but my auxiliary lifts are typically 3x6 or 3x8.

I posted my workout on the previous page. I hit bodyparts twice a week do you recommend lower reps earlier in the week and higher reps later in the week? Typically with bench I'll go heavy the first workout of the week and lighter the second workout but my auxiliary lifts are typically 3x6 or 3x8.

Depends on your goal. If strength is what you want, go lower reps, higher weight. If you're looking for hypertrophy (muscles that look bigger), higher reps, lower weight. It's much more complicated than that, but you get the idea. Not sure what the benefit of mixing the two is.

Biggest bunch of BS that has ever been spread around the world. You have to lift heavy and get stronger to get bigger muscles, even more so if you are training naturally.

I think the guardian will agree with me.

I also think bodypart splits are a way for most trainees to skip doing the big lifts or focus on getting stronger. Instead they use these routines to pump out the reps and get a sweet looking pump, which does little for actually changing your physique for the long run.

Sarcoplasmic muscular hypertrophy involves an increase in the sarcoplasmic volume of a muscle cell with no corresponding increase in muscular strength. A strength increase is something you normally expect with an increase in muscular hypertophy, however sarcoplasmic volume increases serve very little to no functional purpose in terms of strength development.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is a response to hard training at relatively high volumes. In order for muscles to increase in size as a result of an increase in sarcoplasmic volume, they have to be trained within a higher repetition range. This is generally in the range of 8-12 and even beyond. This causes sufficient micro-trauma for the muscle to respond.

Endurance athletes also experience a small level of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in response to extremely high volumes of training.

Obviously this form of muscular hypertrophy is not desirable for anyone aiming to increase strength or sports performance. Bodybuilders and those wanting beach muscles are likely the only ones concerned with sarcoplasmic muscular hypertrophy. This form or muscle size increase is the main reason you see strength to weight ratio decrease as a person gets larger, even with no evidence of excess body fat. It can seem a mystery to some as to why bodybuilders and frequent gym goers seem to be huge but only moderately strong.

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy

Myofibrillar muscular hypertrophy is what most people want. This is an increase in the size of the actual contractile proteins, resulting in more available muscle for contraction applied to resistance. This form of muscle increase is commonly seen in athletes that perform dynamic sports or strength and power. Weightlifters experience myofibrillar hypertrophy as a result of their training. When a load is lifted that is beyond 75% of maximum a corresponding increase in contractile proteins occurs in order to adapt and lift a heavier load next time.

Myofibrillar muscular hypertrophy is attained through high intensity, lower volume training. However this is not always the case, it is just ideal. A muscle will not increase in strength to any great amount through repetitive lifting until fatigue. It doesn't make sense that lifting something 12 times will increase the amount you are able to lift in one-off efforts that are close to maximum strength. This is why myofibrillar hypertrophy occurs most notably as a result of training in the range of 3-7 repetitions. It's not ideal for a bodybuilder but it will build actual functional strength you can use and not unnecessary bodyweight. The size of the muscle will increase at a slower rate because the hypertrophy involves growth of functional units of muscular tissue as opposed to simply volume.

Yes I am aware of the types of hypertrophy and I should have clarified my post. If we are talking about the most efficient way to gain muscle, one should focus most of their routine on gaining strength for their main lifts in the low to medium rep ranges. I do not discount higher reps sets, especially for certain exercises and I include them in my training as well. However, too many guys do high rep sets with flys and cable crossovers or machines and wonder why they can't gain muscle. Consistent strength progress in lower rep ranges 1-6 (with main lifts), which is what you should build your workout around, will be the most efficient way to gain muscle. Not saying they are the only things you should do or that only lifting heavy on everything is the way to go.

The guardian can chime in too as he obviously is a beast and has been around the iron a decent amount of time and has far more strength than I ever will.

Yes I am aware of the types of hypertrophy and I should have clarified my post. If we are talking about the most efficient way to gain muscle, one should focus most of their routine on gaining strength for their main lifts in the low to medium rep ranges. I do not discount higher reps sets, especially for certain exercises and I include them in my training as well. However, too many guys do high rep sets with flys and cable crossovers or machines and wonder why they can't gain muscle. Consistent strength progress in lower rep ranges 1-6 (with main lifts), which is what you should build your workout around, will be the most efficient way to gain muscle. Not saying they are the only things you should do or that only lifting heavy on everything is the way to go.

The guardian can chime in too as he obviously is a beast and has been around the iron a decent amount of time and has far more strength than I ever will.

No, I agree with you. Getting more weight under the bar is absolutely the best way to build strength, which is the best way to grow muscle. I rarely go over 5 reps and I'm happy with my results. I was just saying that hypertrophy can serve a purpose for some people.

fats and carbs aren't important? A can of pop and bowl of rice (carbs) have the same effect on building muscle?
A handful of almonds and a crispy cream (fats) assuming the same number of calories have the same effect on building muscle?

If you're controlling for protein, then the answer is: pretty much.

Sure, you need some fatty acids in there, but as long as you're getting adequate protein, the other stuff is pretty irrelevant. It's just calories. Once they're broken down and processed, your body doesn't really care where they come from.

Sarcoplasmic muscular hypertrophy involves an increase in the sarcoplasmic volume of a muscle cell with no corresponding increase in muscular strength. A strength increase is something you normally expect with an increase in muscular hypertophy, however sarcoplasmic volume increases serve very little to no functional purpose in terms of strength development.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is a response to hard training at relatively high volumes. In order for muscles to increase in size as a result of an increase in sarcoplasmic volume, they have to be trained within a higher repetition range. This is generally in the range of 8-12 and even beyond. This causes sufficient micro-trauma for the muscle to respond.

Endurance athletes also experience a small level of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in response to extremely high volumes of training.

Obviously this form of muscular hypertrophy is not desirable for anyone aiming to increase strength or sports performance. Bodybuilders and those wanting beach muscles are likely the only ones concerned with sarcoplasmic muscular hypertrophy. This form or muscle size increase is the main reason you see strength to weight ratio decrease as a person gets larger, even with no evidence of excess body fat. It can seem a mystery to some as to why bodybuilders and frequent gym goers seem to be huge but only moderately strong.

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy

Myofibrillar muscular hypertrophy is what most people want. This is an increase in the size of the actual contractile proteins, resulting in more available muscle for contraction applied to resistance. This form of muscle increase is commonly seen in athletes that perform dynamic sports or strength and power. Weightlifters experience myofibrillar hypertrophy as a result of their training. When a load is lifted that is beyond 75% of maximum a corresponding increase in contractile proteins occurs in order to adapt and lift a heavier load next time.

Myofibrillar muscular hypertrophy is attained through high intensity, lower volume training. However this is not always the case, it is just ideal. A muscle will not increase in strength to any great amount through repetitive lifting until fatigue. It doesn't make sense that lifting something 12 times will increase the amount you are able to lift in one-off efforts that are close to maximum strength. This is why myofibrillar hypertrophy occurs most notably as a result of training in the range of 3-7 repetitions. It's not ideal for a bodybuilder but it will build actual functional strength you can use and not unnecessary bodyweight. The size of the muscle will increase at a slower rate because the hypertrophy involves growth of functional units of muscular tissue as opposed to simply volume.

Started working out yesterday. School I teach at is having a weight loss challenge. I typically don't join them because they are so short and it seems like I gain more back than i lose but this will be a 2 month challenge. My wife is going to also diet/exercise with me which will make it easier. Bball on Monday nights/league, bball at 6 am on Tues/Thurs, and will hit the Y at least 4 days a week. This is going to suck but I'm weighing the most i ever have in my life and I'm about to turn 30. I know if I don't lose some weight now, it may never happen.

I have the hardest time going heavy in my early morning workouts (5:30 am). I think I'm going to have to start running on the treadmill or something to wake up prior to lifting. There is a significant difference in the way it feels to deadlift 315 at 5:30am than at 4:30pm. The problem is that I need to be able to work out at both times due to my family's schedules. Anyone have suggestions for overcoming early morning lethargy/weakness?

__________________In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
- H. L. Mencken

I have the hardest time going heavy in my early morning workouts (5:30 am). I think I'm going to have to start running on the treadmill or something to wake up prior to lifting. There is a significant difference in the way it feels to deadlift 315 at 5:30am than at 4:30pm. The problem is that I need to be able to work out at both times due to my family's schedules. Anyone have suggestions for overcoming early morning lethargy/weakness?

A shit ton of stimulants?

Seriously though my body feels so much different in morning than at night and my warmups in the early morning are more intense. I may even throw in some box jumps before squats or deads just to wake up my hips because everything feels so tight.

So I've given up drinking pop. What are some good alternatives other than water?!

Coffee? Tea?

You can also get those packets or drops to add into water to make it have a taste. If you like the fizz of sodas, you might try flavored seltzer water which tends to be much better for you than the traditional soda. I'd stay away from the ones with artificial sweeteners, though (that's just me).

__________________In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
- H. L. Mencken